The Peloponnese, Greece, As Seen From Orbit

The Peloponnese, Greece is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 39 crew member on the International Space Station. This view shows most of Greece.
The urban region of Athens is readily recognizable due to its size and light tone compared to the surrounding landscape, although smaller Megara and Lamia also stand out. The dark-toned mountains with snow-covered peaks contrast with the warmer, greener valleys where agriculture takes place. The intense blue of the Mediterranean Sea fades near the sun’s reflection point, where numerous wind streaks in the lee of the island become visible along the right side of the image.

The Peloponnese, ancient Sparta, is the great peninsula separated from the mainland by the narrow Isthmus of Corinth. Several times over the centuries the narrows have acted as a defensive point against attack from the mainland. More recently in 1893 the narrows provided a point of connection when a ship canal was excavated between the gulfs to the west and to the east.

ISS039-E-003505 (21 March 2014) – Larger image